The Great Lakes hold a massive amount of water. They contain one fifth of the world’s fresh surface water. In the U.S., there are more miles of coastline along the Lakes than along the entire Atlantic seaboard. We think of the Lakes today as a great place to play on the beach, to swim, to go fishing.But those huge, beautiful lakes are changing.

An in-depth look at the future of coal in this country. The Environment Report explores the role that coal plays in our lives and in the lives of those who depend on coal mining for a living. Can coal truly be a viable option in the new green economy?

Urban sprawl costs everyone. All taxpayers end up subsidizing the infrastructure costs of some of the wealthier subdivisions. Racism is still a large part of segregated suburbs. Traffic congestion is getting worse and that causes more air pollution. Lester Graham looks at the impacts of sprawl.

In an effort to rank, in the order of importance, the ten major environmental issues facing the Great Lakes, the staff at the GLRC asked 28 stakeholders in the Great Lakes basin to rank the major issues affecting the Great Lakes. The Environment Report then sent out a team of reporters throughout the region to explore these issues in-depth. The result of their efforts was broadcast on public radio stations beginning on October 10th, 2005.